Over the past 5 months, I had been quietly training for my first stand alone marathon. Have done 4 IM and 3 ultras, but never a stand-alone.
So lots of seriously wet “wet season” running, dark starts (with support from Nick as my security), and many lonely hours. Three weeks ago I had to make the decision to pull back to the half marathon, as my hammy didn’t want to play the game. That decision was hard enough. With my physio and coach we reset, with a goal of a substantial PB (currently 1:45:29 from 2011).
Today started perfectly, on track for 11km. Then the wheels fell off....massively. Hammy lost power, tummy was ugh. I am most shattered and disappointed about today. At the moment the effort just doesn’t seem worth it. And we finally had a break in the rain, but it decided to rain in and off, so high humidity to add to the fun.
Ended up with 1.54.33.....not acceptable.

Was due to run 28km. Got to 26.2km and pulled the pin. Couldn’t even manage the walk / run thing. Was so hot and very humid when I left at 5.40am. Haven’t never felt so disheartened. Have struggled over the past few weeks. Working hard on good recovery, stretching, food, sleep. Just not hitting the mark in half the sessions. Not sure whether to persevere, only 6 weeks to go, or drop back to half marathon. Think I am too old for long stuff. 😞

I have collected and exchanged 3500 bottles / cans since around mid December from our complex (for the 10c bottles for change). We are a 56 unit complex but I am collecting only from around 5-7 units currently - I am slightly surprised at how many cartoons are consumed. A few units are contributing a cartoon every few days. The biggest week was 19 cartons. And this does not include wine bottles. I look like an alcoholic when I take in between 12 and 19 cartons each week.........
Note......all funds are being used for our unit community gardens and I contribute maybe 30c a week! 🙂

Thanks Chuckie - yes still alive - and yes will it STOP friggen raining. Every time I need to run, it rains. Not little rain, big rain. 20km scheduled for tomorrow morning....makes legs so heavy when running and recovery just a little longer.
The first photo is the river that run behinds us - has been up and down like a yoyo for the past 8 days. This is the third time it has been up since mid December. I have been here 13 years and never seen it stay up so long. It is just so drenched and no where to go. Just waiting for the crocs to arrive to eat the idiots who think it is a good idea to play in here. You should be able to see the bike path here too. Will get a photo when it drops a bit.
The second photo - the new bike path (just around the corner from the first photo) - lol.
The third - from the weekend (in between these two photos) - yes idiots like to drive through this too....

Not sure how I am feeling now. Yep, another happy Christmas, not. My partner and I have been together for just over 7 years. It has had it ups and downs, with him cheating on me for a period (with someone I knew….). I made the decision to continue in the relationship. When we travel and or are with family (which is not very often – mine are interstate and his overseas) the times are good and their are lots of laughs. At home, we don’t communicate very well with each other. He has been trying to gain employment for over 18 months (after previously being in Government for 9 years). He drives rideshare, but the money and hour are crap. We have tried everything to get back into Government, he has been shortlist, meritorious on most but never successful. I have encouraged him to look at non-government (but a short stint at an employment agency was awful for him, constantly being abused, sworn at…) or even look at retraining through TAFE. His motivation and confidence are completely gone, and he is stuck that government is the only option (so only applies for 2-3 jobs a month). He is travelling back to see family in March for 3 months, and I got upset on Christmas day as he is travelling before his birthday and won’t be here (but he didn’t tell me before telling the). I know it is petty, but I have no family (or children) and I like spending this time together. My mouth opened before I thought and there went Christmas day. I am finding it a big challenge to keep motivating him, encouraging him and completely covering the house myself (yes is mine and I cover all the bills, but an offer to help when things break would be nice). We keep saying mean things to each other; I admit and say I am sorry, but I can’t stop (and I can admit that – I am not a bad person, I get emotional and he doesn’t like that). He says things as well and then says he didn’t say it or tells me to stop putting words in my mouth. After 7 years, and a decision to not have children by him, now leaves me too old to have children (that makes me sad) and the likelihood of being on my own (that I am not worried about). Yet another fight, and he has gone to the gym. He’ll come home and eat in front on the computer all afternoon, or sleep. We can’t even seem to be at the same table. My granddad is unwell (as I have spoken about on here) and both my mum and dad (not together - struggle to meet day to day living - so I feel that pressure as well, more for my dad at he moment). Just needing to vent a little. I finally have no more tears to cry and I think I have finally run out of puff to even argue anymore. Would like to find some peace in myself so I can better to and for those around me.

We only did one visit, but did buy a number of boxes of dark chocolate......
The other one worth visiting is Gabriel, corner Caves and Quininup Road. Some seriously good dark. Just finishing the dark mint. The Vietnamese dark bean was the yummiest.

I did ‘other things’ after my last IM race in 2011. Never done a tri since. But still run, so sort of relevant.
I still hang around here. Been hanging around here since around the year 2001. Don’t have much to offer, but enjoy the discussions and banter.....And have made many life friends.
Welcome to the 13+ hour club 😁😁😁😁